Hydrangea plant named ‘Hortfire’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Hydrangea macrophylla  plant named, ‘Hortfire’ that is characterized by its picotee sterile flowers with sepals that are white in color with dark pink margins when young and becoming pink in color with similar margins when maturing, its rile flower sepals with wavy crisped margins, and its sterile flower sepals that are purple in color with dark pink picotee margins when grown in acid soil with aluminum sulfate.

Botanical classification: Hydrangea macrophylla.

Varietal denomination: ‘Hortfire’.

CROSS REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION

This application is co-pending with a U.S. Plant Patent Applicationfiled for a plant derived from the same breeding program that isentitled Hydrangea Plant Named ‘Horthamp’ (U.S. Plant patent applicationSer. No. 15/330,917).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofHydrangea macrophylla and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivarname, ‘Hortfire’. ‘Hortfire’ represents a new bigleaf hydrangea, aperennial shrub grown for landscape use.

The objective of the breeding program was to develop new cultivars ofHydrangea with sterile flower sepals that are picotee with pink or rededges. ‘Hortfire’ arose from a controlled cross made by the Inventor inJune of 2008 between unnamed and unpatented proprietary plants in theInventor's breeding program; reference no. 07-036-01 as the femaleparent and reference no. 07-120-04 as the male parent. ‘Hortfire’ wasinitially selected a single unique plant from amongst the resultingseedlings for further evaluation in 2010 and characteristics confirmedin June of 2013.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by stemcuttings by the Inventor in Boskoop, The Netherlands in July of 2010.Asexual propagation by stem cuttings has determined that thecharacteristics of the new cultivar are stable and are reproduced trueto type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combinationdistinguish ‘Hortfire’ as a unique cultivar of Hydrangea macrophylla.

-   -   1. ‘Hortfire’ exhibits picotee sterile flowers with sepals that        are white in color with dark pink margins when young and        becoming pink in color with similar margins when maturing.    -   2. ‘Hortfire’ exhibits sterile flower sepals with wavy crisped        margins.    -   3. ‘Hortfire’ exhibits sterile flower sepals that are purple in        color with dark pink picotee margins when grown in acid soil        with aluminum sulfate.

The female parent of ‘Hortfire’ differs from ‘Hortfire’ in having ashorter overall plant height and in having sterile flower sepals withentire margins that are not crisped. The male parent of ‘Hortfire’,differs from ‘Hortfire’ in having a taller plant size and in havingsterile flower sepals with entire margins that are not crisped and thatremain white with pink picotee margins as they mature. ‘Hortfire’ can bemost closely compared to the Hydrangea macrophylla cultivars‘Hortmaclepa’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 27,787), ‘Hortmaflam’ (U.S. PlantPat. No. 27,716), and ‘Horthamp’. These cultivars are similar to‘Hortfire’ in having picotee flowers. ‘Hortmaclepa’ differs from‘Hortfire’ in having sterile flower sepals with narrower pink picoteemargins and that remain white with pink picotee margins when maturing.‘Hortmaflam’ differs from ‘Hortfire’ in having sterile flower sepalswith entire margins that are not crisped and that remain white with pinkpicotee margins. ‘Horthamp’ differs from ‘Hortfire’ in having sterileflower sepals that lacking crisped margins and in having green markings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Hydrangea. The photographs weretaken of a plant two years in age as grown in a 17-cm container in agreenhouse in Boskoop, The Netherlands.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a side view of the plant habit of‘Hortfire’ in bloom.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of a maturinginflorescence of ‘Hortfire’.

The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a close-up view of a leaf of‘Hortfire’.

The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with thephotographic and printing technology utilized and the color values citedin the detailed botanical description accurately describe the colors ofthe new Hydrangea.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed description of plants two years in age asgrown in 17-cm containers in a greenhouse in Boskoop, The Netherlands.The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations inenvironmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not beentested under all possible environmental conditions. The colordetermination is in accordance with The 2015 R.H.S. Colour Chart of TheRoyal Horticultural Society, London, England, except where general colorterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Blooming period.—From May to July in a greenhouse and from            July to September outside in The Netherlands.        -   Plant type.—Perennial shrub, mophead-type hydrangea.        -   Plant habit.—Broadly spreading to upright, flattened            globular shape.        -   Height and spread.—Up to 1 m in height and 1.5 m in spread            after a few years in the landscape.        -   Hardiness.—At least in U.S.D.A. Zones 5 to 9.        -   Diseases and pests.—No susceptibility or resistance to pests            and diseases has been observed.        -   Root description.—Fibrous and fine, 177D in color.        -   Propagation.—Stem cuttings.        -   Time required for root development.—An average of 3.5 weeks            for root initiation with a young rooted plant produced in an            average of six months.        -   Growth rate.—Moderate.-   Stem description:    -   -   Stem shape.—Rounded.        -   Stem strength.—Strong.        -   Stem aspect.—Upright to an average angle of 60° to soil.        -   Stem color.—Immature stems; 144A, mature stems; 144A, older            bark; N199C to N199D.        -   Stem size.—An average of 24.7 cm (excluding the            inflorescence) in length and 6 mm in diameter.        -   Stem surface.—Immature and mature stems; glabrous and            densely lenticellate with lenticels; an average of 2 mm in            length and 0.75 mm in width, and N186B to N186C in color.        -   Branching.—Moderately branched with an average of 11 lateral            branches, branching improves with pinching.        -   Internode length.—An average of 6.2 cm.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Obovate to elliptic.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Opposite.        -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf number.—An average of 6 (3 pairs) per lateral branch.        -   Leaf base.—Attenuate.        -   Leaf apex.—Apiculate.        -   Leaf margins.—Serrate.        -   Leaf venation.—Pinnate, color; upper surface 145A and lower            surface; 146C.        -   Leaf size.—An average of 12.2 cm in length and 7.5 cm in            width.        -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.        -   Leaf surface.—Upper surface; smooth, glabrous, and slightly            rugose, lower surface; smooth, glabrous, and moderately            rugose.        -   Leaf color.—Young leaves; upper surface a blend between 137C            and 143A and lower surface; a blend between 146C and 147B,            mature leaves; upper surface a blend between NN137A and 189A            and lower surface 147B lightly suffused with 203C.        -   Petioles.—An average of 1.3 cm in length and 4 mm in            diameter, color; upper surface 144B and lower surface 144A,            upper surface; smooth and slightly glossy, lower surface;            smooth and moderately glossy.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Flattened globular, mophead, compound            corymb of rotate-shaped sterile flowers.        -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—Sterile flowers; an average of            6 weeks, sepals persistent, petals self-cleaning, fertile            flowers; an average of 1 week, self-cleaning.        -   Inflorescence number.—One per lateral stem.        -   Inflorescence size.—An average of 12.3 cm in height and 19.6            cm in diameter.        -   Flower number.—An average of 125 sterile flowers and 50            fertile flowers per inflorescence.        -   Flower fragrance.—None.        -   Flower aspect.—Sterile flowers; upright and outwards and            slightly drooping, fertile flowers; upright.        -   Flower size.—Sterile flowers; an average of 5 cm in diameter            and 2.5 cm in depth, fertile flowers; an average of 4 mm in            diameter and 3 mm in depth.        -   Flower shape.—Sterile and fertile flowers; rotate.        -   Flower buds.—Sterile flowers; an average of 5 mm in length            and 6 mm in diameter, inverted triangle in shape, 145A to            145B suffused with 46A at the apex and margins in color,            fertile flowers; an average of 5 mm in length and 3.5 mm            diameter, broadly obovate in shape, 155C suffused with 60C            at the apex and 145B at the base.        -   Peduncles.—An average of 12 cm in length and 8 mm in            diameter, held upright to outwards, 144B in color, smooth            surface.        -   Pedicels.—Sterile flowers; an average of 2.4 cm in length            and 1.5 mm in diameter, held at an average angle of 40° to            peduncle, 73C in color, moderate strength, dull surface is            moderately covered with thin hairs an average of 0.2 mm in            length and NN155A in color, fertile flowers; an average of            5.5 mm in length and 1 mm in diameter, held at an average            angle of 15° to vertical, 145C in color, moderate strength,            dull and glabrous surface.        -   Petals.—Sterile flowers; about 4 to 5, rotate, ovate in            shape, concave, acute apex, cuneate base, entire margin, an            average of 3 mm in length and 2 mm in width, glabrous and            dull upper and lower surfaces, color when opening and when            fully opened; upper surface NN155D and lower surface NN155D            lightly suffused with 75B to 75C, color does not fade,            petals drop when mature, fertile flowers; an average of 5,            rotate, ovate in shape, concave, acute apex, cuneate base,            entire margin, an average of 2 mm in length and 1 mm in            width, color; upper surface NN155D and lower surface NN155D            slightly suffused with 75B to 75C, petals drop as maturing,            both surfaces glabrous and dull.        -   Sepals.—Sterile flowers; an average of 5, rotate in            arrangement, reniform in shape, broadly acute to rounded            apex, attenuate base, coarsely dentate, crisped margin, an            average of 2.8 cm in length and 3.6 cm in width, color;            upper and lower surfaces when opening 155A with picotee            margin 61C to 61D, upper surface when fully open 73B with            picotee margin 60D, lower surface when fully open 73B to 73C            with picotee margin 60D, both surfaces; glabrous and dull,            fertile flowers; an average of 5, rotate in arrangement,            ovate to deltoid in shape, acute apex, broadly cuneate base,            entire margin, an average of 1 mm in length and width,            color; upper surface when opening and when fully open 145B,            lower surface when opening and when fully open 145B fading            to 146B towards the apex, colors do not fade, both surfaces            glabrous and dull.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Gynoecium.—Sterile flowers; 2 pistils, an average of 2 mm in            length, stigma; club-shaped and NN155D in color, style; 1 mm            in length, NN155B in color, ovary is NN155B in color,            fertile flowers; an average of 3 pistils; an average of 1.5            mm in length, stigma; club-shaped and NN155B in color,            style; 1 mm in length, NN155B in color, ovary is 145D in            color.        -   Androecium.—Sterile flowers; an average of 8 stamens,            filaments; an average of 2 mm in length and NN155D in color,            anthers; oblong in shape, an average of 0.5 mm in length and            NN155B in color, pollen is low in abundance and 155A in            color, fertile flowers; an average of 10 stamens, filaments;            an average of 2 mm in length and NN150B in color, anthers;            broadly reniform in shape, an average of 0.5 mm in length            and 203A in color, pollen is low in abundance and 155A in            color.        -   Fruit and seed.—No seeds or fruit observed to date.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Hydrangea plant named‘Hortfire’ substantially as herein illustrated and described.